Qom Handwoven Carpet

Qom handwoven carpet and its features

Qom is one of the famous areas in the production of Iranian handwoven carpets , whose exquisite carpets and carpets of silk flowers and all silk are world famous. Accuracy in the texture and elegance of the carpet is the most important characteristic of the handwoven carpets of Qom city. Variety in color and the use of new colors that are rarely seen in other carpet weaving regions of Iran are also other characteristics of the carpets of this region. In the following article, we will describe the technical and appearance characteristics of Qom carpet.

The history of carpet weaving in Qom

The history of carpet weaving in Qom dates back to before World War II. For the first time, Kashani merchants popularized this art-craft in the city of Qom. In the reports and biographies of many western travel writers who have visited Qom city since the Middle Ages, there is no mention of the existence of pattern weaving industry in Qom city or its surrounding areas. In only one case, a tourist named "Sayrpolt" who visited Qom in 1659 AD, mentions the existence of carpet weaving industry in Qom. Carpet weaving is considered a household activity in Qom and still employs many workers in this province, both in the city and in the rural areas. The carpet of Qom is greatly influenced by the motifs and carpet weaving methods of Kashan. Qomi weavers have been able to achieve a very high reputation in the domestic and foreign markets of handwoven carpets by presenting carpets with interesting designs and delicate texture and balanced colors. About 90 years ago, Kashan traders took the carpet weavers to the city of Qom and started working there on a limited scale. The carpets produced in Qom were initially woven with Persian knot and not very fine woolen thread. In some of these productions, parts of the produced carpet were woven using silk and therefore had more luster. About twenty years have passed since this action, and carpet weaving in Qom continued in an advanced and significant commercial way.

Weaving workshops and how they are in Qom

In the city of Qom, carpet weaving is not done in large workshops as it is common in some important weaving areas of Iran such as Tabriz. In this city, single weaving is more common, but there are also establishments where production is widespread. The activity of weavers in Qom is not seasonal and takes place all year round. Specialization and division of work is going on in carpet weaving and all stages of carpet production are carried out and finished by the weaver and his family. Wool and yarn are bought ready-made, and the weaver puts the threads on the carpet and is paid for doing so. Time is an important factor in carpet weaving, and the speed in doing the work and finishing the carpet on time, especially in the method of miscellaneous production in home workshops, is very important from the employer's point of view; So much so that there is always a competition for the employment of fast and hard-working weavers, and the handmaidens are also affected by this competition.

Fibers and raw materials used in weaving

Qom is one of the most important centers for the production of flower silk and fluffy and full silk carpets in Iran. All-silk, or fluff and silk rugs are often not stepped on because of their exquisiteness, and are instead hung on the wall. Therefore, in the past, the most suitable design for these silk carpets was a carpet or altar design. But now, all-silk carpets are woven in different designs and colors, and they are among the most exquisite and expensive carpets in the Iranian market, and they have many fans in foreign markets as well. So that today more than 90% of Qom silk carpets are exported abroad. The carpets of this city are mostly woven in sizes of one and a half and two cubits and dimensions of four, seven and twelve square meters. In general, in Qom carpet, cotton is used for warp and weft, and wool and silk fibers are used for pile. Wool and silk fibers are usually done by Qomi dyers themselves. In most cases, natural dyes are used for dyeing fibers; Except in few cases and in recent years, chemical dyes have been used, especially to produce black color.

Type of knot, thread and weave density in Qom carpet

The weaving and the type of knots in the Qom carpet are Persian, and the knots are very fine and delicate but strong. The density of knots in its finely woven and silk carpets in many cases approaches the limit of one million knots per square meter. Qom carpet has short piles and is woven using two wefts in each row of weaving. Therefore, Qom carpet should be placed in the category of full-length carpets in terms of weaving mechanism. The thin weft in Qom carpets is usually gray, blue and beige and can be seen from the back of the carpet.  
The use of horizontal looms for carpet weaving is rarely seen in Qom. In this area, Persian vertical (or wall) carpet looms are used for weaving, which are installed back to the wall. As in other regions, carpet weaving in Qom is done by both men and women. At the beginning and end of the weaving, a few centimeters of carpet weaving is done in Persian style. Carpet finishing is also done in this area after finishing the weaving.

Designs and motifs in Qom handwoven carpets

The designs of Qom hand-woven carpets, like the colors used, have a special variety and breadth. The weavers of Qom often adapt and weave the most famous carpet designs and maps of other weaving centers of Iran, which have been accepted and liked by the audience over time, with brief changes. In some cases, Qom carpets may be confused with Kashan and Isfahan carpets due to their similarity. However, because the weavers of Qom, unlike the weavers of Tabriz, use Persian knots or sene or symmetrical knots in the weaving of their carpets, the carpets of Qom and Tabriz are easily distinguishable from each other. The common designs in Qom carpets are batten, tree, clay (Bakhtiari mosaic), Shikargah, Joshghani geometric, Shah Abbasi Lakh and Taranj, Shah Abbasi Afshan, plain carpet Taranji, Mahramat, bandi with inscriptions, Mehrabi, Golfarang and Zal al-Sultani. Slimi and Khatai designs, Lakh and Taranj, as well as tree designs like Isfahan carpets, are among the designs that account for most of Qom's productions. Tree, animal, bush and flower motifs, due to the designer's capabilities in coloring them, have remarkable beauty and original and eye-catching colors.

Carpets with bat design

Betei design (the use of the Bete Jaqe motif in the carpet text) is one of the favorite designs of Qommi weavers. Bete motif in Qom carpets is similar to Khorasan carpets. This type of rugs is one-way, unlike the Naqsh rugs of Saraband and Mir in Lorestan. In this way, the tips of these braids, which are woven in parallel rows, are all in the same direction. This is while the braids woven on Saraband carpets change the direction of their tips in successive rows. In Qom, carpets with Bete design are usually woven on a cream-colored background and in sizes of two cubits to seven square meters.

Carpets with geometric patterns

In the city of Qom, they weave an imitation of Joshghani's geometric designs, which have similarities to the old designs of Kashan. Also, in this city, the design of a tree is sometimes woven in the text of the altar and sometimes without the pattern of the altar. A mihrabi design similar to this one is also woven in the cities of Isfahan and Kashan. Qomi weavers weave simple floor carpets with large hexagonal fringes filled with Herati style flowers and leaves, which are also woven in the city of Birjand.

The role of the hunting ground in Qom carpet

Although the Shekargah carpet design originated from Isfahan, many examples of this design can be seen in the woven silk carpets of Qom city. In these carpets, whose plan is usually all-over, all kinds of motifs of wild animals, birds and hunters on horseback are woven among the motifs of trees and flowers.

Color in Qom handwoven carpet

Colors also play a major role in the fame of Qom handwoven carpets in the world markets. Carpet designers in this region, according to the taste and demand of the world markets, have tried to weave colors such as light red, dark and light blue, pistachio green and pink, which are not common in other parts of Iran, in the Qom carpet with special harmony and beauty. to use Natural dyes that are used for dyeing fibers in Qom include pomegranate skin, walnut skin, hair leaf, sumac, indigo, runas, spark and red seed. In general, colors in the range of lacquer, brown, blue, cream, as well as special colors such as beige, gold, crimson and copper are frequently seen in Qom handwoven carpets.

The most famous carpet weavers in Qom

Most Qommi weavers weave their signature on the border of their handwoven carpets. Some of the most famous Qommi weavers are: Metousel, Hashemian, Talebian, Nemati, Talebi, Reza Qanahi, Arslani, Parshan, Rahi Amantkar, Mohammad Jamshidi, Mousavi, Rajabzadeh, Daneshvar, Shojaei, Sadegh Rade, Anarkian, Safavi, Mohammadi, Aliai, Rezaei. , Razavi, Ermi, Khadim, Rushdizadeh, Jafari and Saleh.

Conclusion

Today, the city of Qom and the active weaving areas around it produce one of the most delicate and high-quality hand-woven Iranian carpets; So that most of the products of this region are sold abroad. Silk carpets and silk flowers of Qom have no equal in elegance and beauty and are considered among luxury and royal goods. In addition to that, the variety of colors and the use of new colors are also among the features that have made Qom hand-woven carpets unique and popular.

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